Meet the Author

As an award winning blogger, David Butler helps others explore the world of craft beer in Northern Colorado. Fermentedly Challenged helps you find great places to enjoy a beer, listen to music, enjoy a meal and find a discount on your next pint. Follow along on social media - @ChipperDave on Twitter and on Facebook.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

It's been a long time since I've revisited a brew from Breckenridge Brewery. During a recent beer run, I picked up a 22oz bomber of Breckenridge Small Batch 471 IPA, a double IPA that is packed with a hefty 9.2% ABV and 70 IBUs. I had gotten a recommendation on this brew from a couple of bloggers and I couldn't pass it up when I saw it in the store.

This brew was made with a variety of Pale, Munich, Caramel-30, Carapils and torrified Wheat malts. The beer pours a rusty copper color. It built a nice tall white head in my tulip glass. The beer itself was clear with no haze and appeared to be decently carbonated. This beer was bottle conditioned and has just a little bit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

The beer smelled a bit citrusy, piney and floral with perhaps a bit of an orange rind effect. The malts smelled sweet and mixed well with the hops. I really like the smell of this beer.

The taste was of caramel malts up front and ended with a mild bitterness. This was a nice full bodied beer. It finishes dry yet mild. This is definitely a double IPA. It's not as notable as a DogFish Head, a Stone or a Pliny. It's good for the style but not remarkable. I'd drink it again if offered.
I liked this Breckenridge brew, but was hoping for a little more. I'll give it an OK with a 3.0 out of 5 rating. Anyone else out there really like this beer? I'd love to hear your comments.